PelicaNews, 2009, April

"I want all the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any." Mahatma Gandhi

I was struck by the profound simplicity of his statement. In fact, after reading and re-reading these words for a few minutes, I saw a Christian message for those leaving church following the celebration of Easter. By inserting different words, but keeping the same intention of Gandhi, I found myself with this statement for the Christian: "I want all the religions of the world to have their say, and their freedom to be expressed. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any." In other words, I, too, have a faith, and it is secure. My faith informs me that I must be in the world with "resurrection faith;" a faith that is demonstrated and acted upon as I move in a world that has many cultures and faiths. I am not to diminish my own faith for the sake of others, but as I say this I am to be reminded my convictions are met with others, whose faith is just as real, just as important as my own. How can I honor where they are and still practice my faith in full, without reservation or limitations.

Easter is that starting point for me. It is there at the empty tomb that I say "yes" to Jesus as the Christ. It is there in the grand celebration of the empty tomb that I re-dedicate myself to the faith that has been commended to me by my mother and grandparents. It is at Easter that I have the vantage point to look forward and behind to count the blessings of faith. It is there that Christ takes a hold of my life at the deepest level. The celebration has to be real to me; the celebration redeems my life anew, and says this is who I am wherever I may be. It is the Easter celebration, and subsequent celebrations of the resurrection, that I re-commit my life to "be in the world" as a Christian.

How do I engage the world with the integrity of my faith with a world that is admittedly pluralistically cultural and religious? I need to know who I am and what I believe. I need to be secure and comfortable in my own skin and in my own faith. I need to be sensitive, thoughtful, and mindful of where others are coming from. I need to believe that as I am engaged with words and symbols that may be alien to others, to choose my words and images carefully. To share at this level is to share what you personally believe and have the grace to acknowledge your ignorance. Actions speak more profoundly than words. If we are 'resurrection people,' then we better see Christ in others, and that the resurrection is as real today as yesterday, no matter who the person is before us.

The Lord is risen. The Lord is risen indeed!

It is relatively easy on Easter morning, with a great crowd present, to be enthusiastically joyful and mindful of the resurrection of Jesus Christ; the real work of faith is always beyond the four walls of the church, beyond the opened doors, beyond this campus, beyond Easter, to a world that may be hostile, indifferent or not initiated in the language we speak or the symbols we carry with us. Our task is to go forth, into the world, sharing the risen nature of our lives, and making known how that is possible.

Our new vestry has come together to organize itself and consider our goals for the coming year and how they will contribute to the mission, vision and purpose of All Saints Episcopal Church Hilton Head. At our retreat, we had time to better get to know each other, to understand our roles as your vestry, and to review the accomplishments and challenges of the past year. This is a time of stress and uncertainty in our nation, our community, our church and our personal lives; but it is also a time of great opportunity to share Christ's love with both friends and strangers. In addition to our wonderful liturgy and music, a myriad of groups are available to us – adult education, EFM and Bible studies, DOK, ECW, supper clubs, ushers, flower and altar guilds to name a few. And outside our walls we are busy with activities such as the Garden tour, Friends with wheels, the Dominican Republic and Family Promise. There will be plenty of opportunities for all of us to share Christ's love both with members of our All Saints family and with the people of our community. Your vestry will need to be sure we preserve and use our resources wisely – our people, our physical buildings, our ideas, our money, our faith and trust in God - so that we develop and deepen our relationships both to each other and those that need our assistance. We invite your thoughts and suggestions. Each member of the vestry is committed to seeing All Saints Hilton Head flourish and grow in service to God.

Thank You, Thank You, to Pat and George Collett for hosting the excellent Wednesday Evening Lenten Suppers. Pat's soups were delicious.......awesome! The programs entitled "Promises, Promises" were outstanding and thought provoking, led by Father Mark, Father Rick, and our deacon , Sandy.

2nd Annual MLK Film Festival April 2, 3, 4, 2009 Free admission (Goodwill offering) Call Jenifer Gajdalo for more information at 681-3881.

Family Promise Week for All Saints Church will be April 5-12. Our guests will arrive on Sunday the 5th around 4 pm. In partnership with members of Congregation Beth Yam, we’ll provide dinner, compassionate companionship, and rooms which they will call “home” for the week on the second floor of the parish house. A network van will transport the family members to work, school, or the day center at 7 am, and they will return to All Saints at 6 pm each evening. On Sunday the 12th the families will move, along with their beds and belongings, to the next participating church. Several positions, for those who have completed the necessary training, are still open…see the bulletin board area in the parish hall.

Palm Sunday 8 & 10:15 am Liturgy of the Palms, Passion Gospel, Holy Eucharist

Maundy Thursday 10 am Holy Eucharist; 6:30 pm Holy Eucharist and Stripping of the Altar

Lenten Organ Recital will be held in the sanctuary on Wednesday, April 8 at 12 noon. It will last no more than one hour and is open to the public. The works will be appropriate to the spirit of Lent and Holy Week and you are invited to come and bring a guest with you.

Easter Egg Hunt for children ages toddler through middle school will occur in the church and outside on the lawn immediately following the 10:15 service. There will be two special prizes to be found! Egg collection containers will be provided for all participants, so please do not bring any from home.

Part-Timers, a social group of parishioners, will have its April cocktail party on Monday, April 13, 6 pm, at the home of Sandy and Ralph Drayer, 9 Wood Ibis, Sea Pines. Anyone who lives in the area part-time is invited to attend. All you have to do is bring an hors d’oeuvre. Beverages are supplied. To R.S.V.P., for directions or gate passes, please call 363-6796.

Saints on the Runway All Saints ECW invites all women of the church and their friends to attend an elegant evening of Dinner, wine, dessert and fashions…door prizes too…at their meeting on Tuesday, April 14, beginning at 5:45 pm in Gordon Mann Hall. Fashions will be presented by Patricia’s of Wexford. Limited tickets are available at $10 each and will be sold during coffee hour. Contact Rosalie Van Dam 342-9722 for more info.

Adult Education Small Group Book Club Pat Amer will lead a discussion group on the book The Great Transformation by Karen Armstrong, which is about the great religious movements of the Axial Age, 900 BC to 200 BC, in India, China, Israel and Greece. Sessions will run for 6 weeks beginning April 15, from 5-6:15 pm in the parish house library. A sign up sheet is posted on the parish hall bulletin board. The book will need to be purchased so please call Pat at 671-5991 or email him at pjamer@hargray.com for further information.

"The Risen Lord and 278" Adult Education program on Sunday April 19, 9 a.m. in the library. Presented by Rick Lindsey. All are welcome!

Garden Tour Events April 19 Is OPENING DAY for This Year’s Garden Tour Events. Tickets for both the Premier Party, a limited-seating event at the Spanish Wells Club on May 3, and the 22nd annual All Saints Garden Tour on May 16, will go on sale. Ticket for both events are only $25.00 each! Get them early so you won’t be disappointed! Sign up posters for Heavenly Confection bakers, Boxed Lunch distributors, Garden Site hostesses and parkers will be ready for you to write your name down. Remember, it takes the ENTIRE PARISH to present our garden tour to the community and the five local charities who are this year’s recipients will depend on YOU! Any garden tour questions can be directed to Elizabeth Loda at 342-5590.

Eastertide Evensong The choir of All Saints will offer a final Evensong for the season on April 19, the Sunday after Easter, which will include some of their recent Lenten and Easter offerings. Extended prelude begins at 4:30 pm followed by Choral Evensong and Te Deum at 5. Works of Ireland, Hadley, Beach, and Willan will be performed. We have been encouraged this year with the support of the Parish for our Evensong services and hope many of you will be able to attend. We especially invite those who normally attend the 8 a.m. service, who may not have an opportunity to hear the choir on a regular basis. We also hope you will invite any of your friends or neighbors, who may or may not belong to a church, to come to worship in this special Eastertide season.

The Juliets will meet at the Original Pancake House across from Moss Creek on Monday, April 20 at 9:30 am. For more information, contact Lillian Hill at 338-6490 or Janet Haysom at 705-2514. Please join us!

Dinner and A Movie This popular Small Group program, hosted by our rector Rick Lindsey at his home, will be on Monday April 20 (note DAY change) at 5:30 pm. The selection for viewing will be announced soon…Keep watch! A sign up sheet will be posted April 5 on the parish hall bulletin board; remember, seating is limited so sign up early!

"This Fragile Earth, Our Island Home" Adult Education program Sunday April 26, 9 am in the library. Presented by Mark Brinkmann. All are welcome!

Peace on Earth Day observance and celebration April 26 will be a special Sunday at All Saints. Mark that day on your calendar now because, immediately following the 10:15 am service, the whole congregation is invited to a Lawn Party! On that Sunday of the week observed all around this planet as International Earth Day All Saints is planning to explore the many religious dimensions of striving to be a part of God’s plan for a world in which all people live together in unity, harmony, and peace. This first of what will become an annual “Peace on Earth Day” will start with a special worship service designed to give thanks for the beauty and wonder of “this fragile earth, our island home,” an opportunity to pledge our commitment to be better stewards of the environment, a Lawn Party time of fellowship and refreshments, live music by The Sun City Strummers, and the installation of a PEACE POLE in the Church garden. The Peace Pole is a simple white post with a striking message. Lettering in four languages proclaims the promise of God’s Peaceable Kingdom –a worldwide message of hope that will remind anyone entering or leaving our church building that we are guided by a vision of reconciliation. Far beyond just the “absence of war,” we pledge ourselves to work toward a world free of want, walls, hunger, abuse, greed, violence, and oppression…in all its forms. Plan on being a part of Peace on Earth Day April 26. It’s a positive, upbeat occasion for your whole family.

Chamber Music Hilton Head Chamber Music Hilton Head completes its 11th year with an All Saints concert Monday, April 27. This program includes music in a nice variety of styles. Baroque composer Jean Marie Leclair is there with his Trio for Oboe, Viola and Piano. Bassoon gets into the act in an early 20th century trio by Francis Poulenc. And the program concludes with a romantic masterpiece by Johannes Brahms, his String Quartet in A minor. The ensemble wishes to thank the All Saints congregation for making it feel so welcome these past three season, and it looks forward to continuing the series next year. Excerpts and program notes are posted at www.cmhh.org. Concert begins at 7:30 pm, tickets are $20, and students are free. Should you have questions, please call Bob and Jean at 681-9969.

Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, if you love me, feed my lambs, tend my sheep.” (taken from John 21: 15-17) Feed My Sheep is All Saints’ outreach project for our local food pantries Bluffton Self Help and The Deep Well Project. For April they are asking for “Canned meats and fish.” Grocery stores run specials every week…pick up one or two items each time you go and bring them to church on Sunday. Contributions can be placed in the wicker basket located in the narthex. It’s that easy!

Adult Education Chamber Music of Hilton Head Christian Ed Opportunities Dinner and A Movie Easter Egg Hunt Eastertide Evensong ECW Fashion Show Family Promise Week Feed My Sheep Garden Tour Events	April, 2008	Holy Week Service Schedule JULIETs Lenten Organ Recital Looking Ahead to May MLK Film Festival Part Timers Peace On Earth Day The Rector's Reflections The Risen Lord and 278 Senior Warden's Notes Thank You, Thank You This Fragile Earth, Our Island Home
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